Government censorship

Many Americans don't realize that some local
government censorship of movies dates back to
1907 when the first censorship law was passed by
the City of Chicago. It required police review
and licensing of movies. When, in 1909, the police
refused to license THE JAMES BOYS and NIGHT RIDERS,
they were challenged in court. The Illinois
Supreme Court upheld censorship on the grounds that
the films had no redeeming qualities and would have
an evil influence on young people.

Another challenge to government censorship was lodged
in 1915 by a distributor in Ohio. The US Supreme
Court refused to extend the protection of the 1st and
14th amendments to movies, arguing that films are a
business enterprise and that censorship was necessary
for public order.

This decision wasn't overturned until the 1950s.